Choreographing Connection
Choreographing Connection is Lynn Panting’s professional practice blog, offering reflections on her artistic work and the arts sector at large. Through her lens as a director, choreographer, and intimacy professional, she shares think pieces, resources, strategies, and insights that speak to the evolving landscape of the performing arts.
The Active Noodle Bowl is coming to St. John's Shorts and We are Looking for Ensemble Members.
I'm looking for folks with strong movement and performance backgrounds to join us!
You may have worked with me before, or you may just be interested in doing so.
A big part of my work is creating the room. Ensemble work asks a lot of the people in it. You need to be able to focus, offer grace to the people around you, and be willing to dive into something without necessarily knowing where it's going.
Immaculate vibes only, obviously.
Dream Devised
Dream Devised is a movement-based, ensemble-driven adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that explores how devising can open Shakespeare’s text to new creative possibilities.
At the root of the project were two connected questions:
How can we challenge some of the traditional hierarchies of the rehearsal room?
And, how can we invite more people into the work?
On Community
The concept of community is really hot right now.
It's become one of the most common words in the creative sector and beyond. It's on websites, strategic plans, grant applications, values, mission, and vision statements. Mine included.
Your Nervous System Comes to Rehearsal Too
You know the phrase, where ever you go, there you are?
Your nervous system is like that. It’s in the room for auditions, rehearsals, tough conversations, celebrations and everything in between.
Why Creative Conflict Feels So Personal
Creative conflict feels personal because creative work is personal.
Artists create what feels like an extension of ourselves. It's no wonder that feedback and/or disagreement can feel so personal.
The Most Powerful Tool in the Arts Costs Nothing
I'm not going to bury the lead.
It's self-regulation.
Reflections from NYC: Risk and the Potential for New Stories
What stories become possible when artists have the tools and support to approach intimacy with confidence and care? Reflections from New York on storytelling, creative risk, and intimacy direction.
New York So Far
For the past week, I've been in New York participating in an in-person training cohort with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC), an organization dedicated to fostering safer, more collaborative practices for intimate content in theatre, film, television, and live performance.
The Problem With Mission Drift
The problem is capacity.
No organization can meaningfully hold everything.
And when organizations continually stretch into new territories, something is inevitably neglected.
Director Overview & Pre-Meeting Notes for Scenes with Intimacy
I approach intimacy direction as both a creative and logistical practice. The goal is always to serve the story while protecting the people telling it.
Actor Overview & Pre-Meeting Notes for Scenes with Intimacy
Our initial call is a chance to get to know each other and talk through the work in a clear and supported way.
Nothing Good Gets Away: A Reflection on Practice
Because I’ve been working with these performers for years there is a shorthand between us. The piece came together in two and a half hours.
What I’m recognizing now is that is because of practice.
Trusting that the work you’ve done doesn’t disappear. It accumulates and sharpens. It reveals itself when you need it.
Nothing good gets away.
Nova Scotia Arts Funding Cuts: A Warning Shot for the Arts in Newfoundland and Labrador
Recently, the Nova Scotia government introduced devastating cuts to arts and culture in their provincial budget. For those of us working in the sector, this is a red flag.
What If There’s Nothing to Get? A Guide to Watching Dance
What feels magical to me about dance is that it is not prescriptive. Dance does not demand a single interpretation. It does not require you to follow a plot or decode a message in order to participate fully. Instead, it invites the audience into authorship.
To Work or Not To Work, That is the Question.
Many of us take the work. We waive fees. We accept sliding scale. We underpay ourselves so others can be paid. We do it because the work matters. Because we believe in access. Because we believe in community. Because we don’t want to be the reason a project doesn’t happen.
And in isolation, those choices can feel generous.
But at scale, they become structural.
On Taking a Note
Actor, Bradley Whitford, talks about the three stages of taking a note:
“F**k you.”
“I’m Sh*t”
“Okay.”
And nothing has ever resonated more deeply.
Over time I’ve built systems and practices that help me move through the first two stages faster so I can land in “okay” and do the work.
I’d thought I’d share.
A Look Back Before Looking Ahead: 2025 in Celebration
One of my resolutions in 2025 was to celebrate my wins. I struggle with that, preferring to move swiftly to the next project: to get to work. So here it goes.
Embracing Winter Solstice
As the winter solstice brings its quietest and darkest day, I am taking the opportunity to pause and be very intentional about how I move forward.
On Giving a Good Note
A generous, productive rehearsal room depends on clear and direct communication. Giving a note is not an opportunity to perform authority. Giving a note is a responsibility.
Exit Strategies: How to Leave a Scene, a Process, or a Creative Partnership with Integrity
Exits are an inevitable part of creative work, but they don’t have to be messy. Whether leaving a scene, a rehearsal, or an entire project, having an intentional exit strategy protects both your well-being and your professional relationships.